NIH Awards Grant for Childhood Obesity Study

In response to a rise in childhood obesity, Florida school districts have begun to monitor student growth development every year, but there is little research available to determine if the effort is having an effect.

Now, with a $2.2 million, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, and with the cooperation of Leon County Schools, Suzanne Johnson, department chair in medical humanities and social sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine will explore the impact of school-based screening on student fitness and parent behavior.

"NIH, the Institute of Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control really want this question answered. There will be a lot of people interested in this," said Johnson, "It's a very big undertaking, involving the cooperation of 12 elementary schools and a massive amount of data collection."

She and her research team will monitor children at 12 Leon County elementary schools that have a high percentage of ethnic-minority students.

The primary aim is to study the impact of BMI (body mass index) screenings. BMI, calculated from weight and height measurements, is a reliable indicator of whether children are overweight. Each school offers three wellness programs: a free after-school exercise program for children sponsored by Capital Health Plan; expanded health assessments sponsored by the FSU College of Medicine using funds generated by Dance Marathon on the FSU campus; and a wellness Web site that promotes healthy eating and activity. Researchers will track the children to document how much their health changes and how much their parents take advantage of the wellness programs.